During the 1947 United Nations debate on the future of Palestine, world opinion was powerfully affected by news of the Holocaust and the plight of Jewish refugees, creating a momentary humanitarian advantage that helped mobilize support for the creation of the state of Israel. However, almost as soon as it became clear that the Jews had won their war for independence, anti-Zionists within Christianity reasserted themselves. A pro-Arab bloc of Western missionaries at the World Council of Churches echoed the anti-Zionism that has always characterized those churches which today constitute the Middle East Council of Churches, while the Roman Catholic Church, never friendly to Zionism, advocated the "internationalization" of Jerusalem to diminish the Jewish presence in the heart of the Holy Land. Mainstream Protestantism championed "Palestinian nationalism," and still does not hesitate to portray Israel as an "oppressor," but most evangelical Christians see Israel's restoration as a part of God's plan. In Christian Attitudes towards the State of Israel Paul Merkley demonstrates that polarized opinion continues to affect how Israel is perceived today.

The dominant political theme of the State of Israel is the perpetual quest for security. In its first 25 years, Israel experienced five wars with Arab states declaring their goal to destroy Israel. In American Christian Support for Israel:Standing with the Chosen People, 1948–1975, Eric R. Crouse examines how American Christians responded to Israel’s wars and the persistent threats to its security. While some were quick to condemn Israel as it made difficult and unpopular decisions in its fight for survival in a hostile region, conservative Christians were trustworthy supporters, routinely voicing uplifting reports. Crouse argues that Israel’s embodiment of western ideals and its remarkable economic development gave conservative Christians good reasons to favor Israel in a troubled Middle East, but the main reason for their unconditional support was the key biblical text of Christian Zionism: “I will bless those who bless you [Abraham and his descendants], and I will curse him who curses you” (Genesis 12:3).

The struggle over Israel/Palestine is not just another contest by competing nationalisms or an instance of geopolitical competition. It is also about control of sacred territory that involves local Jews, Muslims, and Christians as well as worldwide faith communities, each with their own interests and stake in what transpires. This balanced introduction to a complex subject presents the multiple positions within the great monotheistic traditions. It demonstrates that the secular discourses in the public square concerning ownership privileges, historical precedence, political rights, and justice that have allegedly replaced religious claims actually coexist with, and often complement, the theological. It explores the century-long tangle of secular and theological debates about Israel's legitimacy. Whether readers support a Jewish state or are resolutely opposed, the serious and substantial scholarship of this well-reasoned and innovative book will contribute to a nuanced and better-informed understanding of this persistent issue that has entered its second century on the international agenda.

This volume contains essays dealing with complex relationships between Judaism and Christianity, taking a bold step, assuming that no historical period can be excluded from the interactive process between Judaism and Christianity, conscious or unconscious, as either rejection or appropriation

Pointing to many evangelicals' unwillingness to acknowledge Islam's theological commonalities with Christianity and their continued portrayal of Islam as an "evil" and false religion, Kidd explains why Christians themselves are ironically to blame for the failure of evangelism in the Muslim world."

In The Pius War, Joseph Bottum has joined with rabbi David G. Dalin to gather a representative and powerful sample of these reviews, deliberately chosen from a wide range of publications. Together with a team of professors, historians, and other experts, the reviewers conclusively investigate the claims attacking Pius XII. The Pius War, and the detailed annotated bibliography that follows, will prove to be a definitive tool for scholars and students_destined to become a major resource for anyone interested in questions of Catholicism, the Holocaust, and World War II.

Explore perceptions and interpretations of scripture in American politics, identity, popular culture, and public education Essays from the perspectives of American history, the history of ideas, film studies, visual studies, cultural studies, education, and church-state studies provide essential research for those interested in the intersection of the Bible and American culture. The contributors are Yaakov Ariel, Jacques Berlinerblau, Mark A. Chancey, Rubén Dupertuis, John Fea, Shalom Goldman, Charles C. Haynes, Carol Meyers, Eric M. Meyers, David Morgan, Adele Reinhartz, and David W. Stowe. Features: Ten essays and an introduction present research from professors of biblical studies, Judaism, English, and history Articles relevant to scholars, students, and the general public Analysis of the tensions in American society regarding the Bible and its role in public life.

Jerusalem’s formal political borders reveal neither the dynamics of power in the city nor the underlying factors that make an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians so difficult. The lines delineating Israeli authority are frequently different from those delineating segregated housing or areas of uneven service provision or parallel national electoral districts of competing educational jurisdictions. In particular, the city’s large number of holy sites and restricted religious compounds create enclaves that continually threaten to undermine the Israeli state’s authority and control over the city. This lack of congruity between political control and the actual spatial organization and everyday use of the city leaves many areas of occupied East Jerusalem in a kind of twilight zone where citizenship, property rights, and the enforcement of the rule of law are ambiguously applied. Michael Dumper plots a history of Jerusalem that examines this intersecting and multileveled matrix and in so doing is able to portray the constraints on Israeli control over the city and the resilience of Palestinian enclaves after forty-five years of Israeli occupation. Adding to this complex mix is the role of numerous external influences—religious, political, financial, and cultural—so that the city is also a crucible for broader contestation. While the Palestinians may not return to their previous preeminence in the city, neither will Israel be able to assert a total and irreversible dominance. His conclusion is that the city will not only have to be shared, but that the sharing will be based upon these many borders and the interplay between history, geography, and religion.

A biblical theologian explores what the Old Testament says about twenty-five important questions of the Christian faith, drawing practical, sensible applications for today's church.

Based on a connected, relational and multidisciplinary approach (history, ethnography, political science, and theology), Mission and Preaching tackles the notion of mission through the analysis of preaching activities and religious dynamics across Christianity, Islam and Judaism, in the Middle East and North Africa, from the late 19th century until today. The 13 chapters reveal points of contact, exchange, and circulation, considering the MENA region as a central observatory. The volume offers a new chronology of the missionary phenomenon and calls for further cross-cutting approaches to decompartmentalise it, arguing that these approaches constitute useful entry points to shed new light on religious dynamics and social transformations in the MENA region. Contributors Necati Alkan, Federico Alpi, Gabrielle Angey, Armand Aupiais, Katia Boissevain, Naima Bouras, Philippe Bourmaud, Gaetan du Roy, Séverine Gabry-Thienpont, Maria-Chiara Giorda, Bernard Heyberger, Emir Mahieddin, Michael Marten, Norig Neveu, Maria Chiara Rioli, Karène Sanchez Summerer, Heather Sharkey, Ester Sigillò, Sébastien Tank Storper, Emanuela Trevisan Semi, Annalaura Turiano and Vincent Vilmain.